Automatic fire-alarm system.



J. H. FLEMING.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, 1916.

WE/ J 7%? M fw w My Patented Feb. 26,1918.

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AUTUMATIG IFIRE ALAEM SYSTEM.

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- specification oi. Letters latent.

Patented race. 2%, llfiido Application filed November 23, 1916. serial No. 132,9fi9.

To all whom it, may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. FLEMING, a

citizen-of the UnitedStategand a resident of Seattle, in the county of Kingand'State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatlc Fire- Alarm Systems, of which the following is a full, true and exact specification.

My invention relates to automatic fire alarm systems and has for its principal object to provide an improved and novel means for audibly giving notice of the presence of a fire; to provide means for automatically calling central or the fire department by telephone and announcing the presence and location, also other information regarding the fire. My device is designed to be placed in a building or the like 1n such a way that a small amount of heat from a fire which is just startin will automatically set in motion the mechanism which will start a phonograph or other audible reproducing mechanism and at the same time will releasethe cut out on a telephone so that the record on the reproducing device will be transmitted over the telephone to central or fire department headquarters as the case may be.

Uther objects will appear as my invention is more fully explained in the following specifications, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my device with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the mechanism of my device for starting the phonograph and releasing the telephone. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of same.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates a casing'within which are mounted the various elements of my device. Within the casing l 1 mount a phonograph 2 or other reproducing mechanism which audibly reproduces the record 3 through a horn a It will be understood that any suitable form of reproducing mechanism of standard or special make may be wise in front of the born a so that when the lib the telephone is held down by means of a lever 8 one end of which is pivoted to a bracket 9 on the inside of casin 1. The phonograph is started by the pulling downwardly of a lever 10. The pull downward 1s accomplished by means of a spring 11. Normally the levers 8 and 10 are connected by means of a soft wire 12 or similar means which may be easily severed or released. By the releas ng or severance of wire 12 the phonograph 1s started and simultaneously the telephone switch is closed, thereby calllng central. As the phonograph record revolves 1n the usual manner its message is reproduced and spoken into the transmitter of the telephone. The record in my device is prepared beforehand and is intended to announce the presence of a fire at a definite address or room number. Instructions for reaching the location of the fire and what type of apparatus will be required to reach the fire, etc, may be conveyed by the record, thereby conveying to the fire dc artment headquarters much information which enables them to save time and expense in sending proper apparatus. The record may also announce the size of a room or building. My means of severing the wire 12 includes a shear 13 which is mounted upon a bracket 14 adjacent the wire 12 which is fitted in a slot 15 in the bracket 14.

I employ a cam lever 16 which is also pivoted to bracket 14 which is employed to opcrate the shear 13. The end of the lever arm of cam 16 is normally held against movement by means of a pawl 17 which is fastened to the inside of casing 1. A leaf spring 18 is employed to throw the cam lever 16 whenever the pawl 17 is released. A stop lever 18 is pivoted to casing 1 as at 19. The lower end of lever 18" engages pawl 17 and prevents its release from engagement with the cam lever 16. A spring 20 tends to release the stop lever 18 from engagement with the pawl 17. On the upper end of stop lever 18 a fine wire 21 passes through casing 1 and thence to a suit able point at which to locate a fusible link 22. A number of sections of wire 21 may be connected continuously by means of other links 22 around the wall or other desirable portion of a room or building and the dead end of the last section of the wire 21 is connected solidly to some portion of the building. Whenever fire has started, the rising temperature will melt the fusible link which is nearest the fire, thereby releasing the strain on the chain of wire with the result that the spring will release lever 18 from engagement with pawl 17, thereby allowing the cam lever 16 to be released from pawl 17. Cam lever 16 under the influence of spring 18 operates shear 13 which severs wire 12, thereby starting the phonograph and telephone mechanism as previously described. It will beunderstood that my device may be used in connection with an ordinary telephone system by setting the usual desk phone in casing 1 in place of the telephone shown and simply removing the receiver from the hook and engaging the hook with the lever 8. By means of my device, central or the fire department is notified of the presence of a fire during the absence of theparty who might ordinarily use the telephone for such purpose.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I therefore desire to avoid being limited to the exact form as shown and described. Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is--' Claims:

1. In a device of the class'described, the combination of a reproducing record, a telephone transmitter positioned adjacent the receiver to take the sound direct from the said record and means for automatically and simultaneously starting the said record to repeating and closing the telephone circuit, said starting means including a severable wire connecting the starting lever on the reproducer and the telephone switch closing lever and a shear for severing the wire.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a revolving record phonograph, a telephone receiver positioned to re-' ceive the sound direct from the said phonograph and means for automatically and Simultaneously starting the said phonograph and. closing the receiver circuit, said starting means including a starting lever on the phonograph, a telephone switch closing lever, a severable wire connecting the said levers and normally retaining them in open position, a severing shearencompassing the said wire and which is adapted to sever the said wire and fusible link means for releasing the said shear.

3. In a fire alarm system, comprising a phonograph reproducing means and a telephone positioned so that the transmitter of the telephone will receive the audible reproduction from the phonograph, the combination of means for automatically and simultaneously starting the phonograph and releasing the telephone receiver hook said means being operable from a distance by the heat from a fire; the said releasing means including a starting lever of the phonograph, the telephone hook, a flexible wire connecting the said lever and hook, shears inclosing the said wire and adapted to sever said wire, a spring cam leverin contactwith the said shear, a pawl normally retaining the said cam lever, a spring stop lever holding the pawl and a fusible link normally restraining the said holding lever against the pawl and permitting the release of the golding lever when fused by the heat of a JOHN H. FLEMING. 

